Merchant, Canned (Hard Discount)

Loblaw; Brampton; On-site; CAD 68,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

Loblaw Companies Limited is hiring a Merchant in our Hard Discount Division to drive assortment and promotional strategy across 500 stores nationwide. Reporting to the Category Director, you will own end-to-end promotions, pricing decisions, vendor negotiations, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver strong financial results.

Candidates should have at least two years in merchandising or category management, with strong analytical skills and proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education or equivalent experience.
• At least two years in merchandising, buying, retail sales, or category management.
• Proactive, curious, and resourceful mindset with new ideas.
• Strong analytical and financial skills to turn data into decisions.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work independently.
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills.
• Strong negotiation and vendor-management capabilities.
• Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, analytical platforms, and emerging AI tools.

Responsibilities

• Drive business results by identifying risks and opportunities and building relationships across departments.
• Lead end-to-end promotional programs, including product selection, forecasting, pricing, and vendor engagement.
• Execute category strategies using data, insights, and market trends to improve financial results.
• Manage assortment decisions balancing value, sales, and profitability with cross-functional teams.
• Monitor competitive activity and adjust category plans accordingly.
• Oversee portfolio financial performance with the Category Director to address gaps.
• Negotiate costs with vendors and seek efficiency improvements.
• Evaluate new products and private-label opportunities with leadership.

Skills

Analytical skills

Financial analysis

Vendor engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Negotiation

Education

Post-secondary education or equivalent experience

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Analytical platforms

AI tools

Job description

Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued – as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country’s largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well®.

At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong.

Join Loblaw Companies Limited as a Merchant in our Hard Discount Division, where we will deliver outstanding products and customer programs to 500 grocery retail stores across Canada. Reporting to the Category Director, we are a diverse and dynamic team that are data-driven and customer centric with a passion for food!

What You’ll Do

• Drive business results by proactively identifying risks and opportunities, taking ownership of execution, and building strong relationships across Merchandising, Operations, Control Brands, Supply Chain, Loyalty, E-commerce, Marketing, Media, and other divisions to deliver shared objectives.
• Lead promotional programs end-to-end, including product selection, forecasting, financial analysis, pricing decisions, vendor engagement, flyer and digital content, and post-promotion performance reviews.
• Execute category strategies while using data, customer insights, and competitive trends to identify opportunities, recommend improvements, and influence decisions that drive financial results.
• Manage assortment decisions, balancing customer value, sales, and profitability while working closely with Associate Merchants, Space Planners, and Supply Chain teams
• Stay on top of competitive activity, market trends, and customer needs to identify opportunities and recommend changes to category plans.
• Manage the financial performance of your portfolio, including sales, margin, and market share, working closely with the Category Director to identify opportunities and address performance gaps.
• Manage everyday shelf pricing decisions, critically assessing data and challenging pricing recommendations to maintain a competitive price position while balancing customer value, margin, and overall category profitability.
• Independently manage vendor relationships and lead cost negotiations, challenging proposals and finding opportunities to improve costs, funding, and overall category profitability.
• Evaluate new products and innovation opportunities, working with the Category Director and Control Brands team on private-label product development and programs.
• Take an active role in adopting and championing new tools and ways of working, including Parrot and Merch OS, while helping others navigate changes to processes and systems.

What You’ll Need

• Post-secondary education or equivalent experience.
• At least two years of experience in merchandising, buying, retail sales, or category management.
• A proactive, curious, and resourceful mindset, with the confidence to challenge existing ways of working and bring forward new ideas.
• Strong analytical and financial skills, with the ability to turn customer, sales, and competitive data into practical business decisions.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, solve problems, and make sound decisions with limited direction.
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively with vendors, internal partners, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong organizational skills and adaptability, with the ability to manage last-minute promotional changes, shifting priorities, and tight timelines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong negotiation skills and commercial confidence, with the ability to challenge vendor proposals, push back when needed, and find solutions while maintaining positive working relationships.
• Comfortable learning new systems and technologies, with strong proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, analytical platforms, and emerging AI tools.

Our commitment to Sustainability and Social Impact is an essential part of the way we do business, and we focus our attention on areas where we can have the greatest impact. Our approach to sustainability and social impact is based on three pillars – Environment, Sourcing and Community – and we are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate leadership in these important areas. Our CORE Values – Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence – guide all our decision-making and come to life through our Blue Culture. We offer our colleagues progressive careers, comprehensive training, flexibility, and other competitive benefits – these are some of the many reasons why we are one of Canada’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers & Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.

We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.

Please Note :

Candidates who are 18 years or older are required to complete a criminal background check. Details will be provided through the application process.

Hiring Range / Échelle salariale à l’embauche :

$68,000.00 - $93,500.00 / 68.000,00$ - 93.500,00$ (per year / par an)

A candidate’s experience and knowledge as well as the geographical region in which the position is located may be factored into the pay a candidate receives for this position. This posting is for an existing vacancy. The Company uses artificial intelligence for the purpose of screening, assessing and/or selecting applicants for this position. / L’expérience et les connaissances d’un candidat ainsi que la région géographique dans laquelle le poste est situé peuvent être prises en compte dans la rémunération qu’un candidat reçoit pour ce poste. Cette offre d’emploi concerne un poste vacant existant. L’entreprise utilise l’intelligence artificielle dans le but de filtrer, d’évaluer et/ou de sélectionner les candidats à ce poste.